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Data from: On-farm wildflower plantings generate opposing reproductive outcomes for solitary and bumble bee species

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posted on 2025-01-22, 15:07 authored by Gina AngelellaGina Angelella, Christopher McCullough, Megan O'Rourke

Pollinator habitat can be planted on farms to enhance floral and nesting resources, and subsequently, pollinator populations. There is ample evidence linking such plantings to greater pollinator abundance on farms, but less is known about their effects on pollinator reproduction. We placed Bombus impatiens Cresson (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and Megachile rotundata (F.) (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) nests out on 19 Mid-Atlantic farms in 2018, where half (n=10) the farms had established wildflower plantings and half (n=9) did not. Bombus impatiens nests were placed at each farm in spring and mid-summer and repeatedly weighed to capture colony growth. We quantified the relative production of reproductive castes and assessed parasitism rates by screening for conopid fly parasitism and Nosema spores within female workers. We also released M. rotundata cocoons at each farm in spring and collected new nests and emergent adult offspring over the next year, recording female weight as an indicator of reproductive potential and quantifying Nosema parasitism and parasitoid infection rates. Bombus impatiens nests gained less weight and contained female workers with Nosema spore loads over 150x greater on farms with wildflower plantings. In contrast, M. rotundata female offspring weighed more on farms with wildflower plantings and marginally less on farms with honey bee hives. We conclude that wildflower plantings likely enhance reproduction in some species, but that they could also enhance microsporidian parasitism rates in susceptible bee species. It will be important to determine how wildflower planting benefits can be harnessed while minimizing parasitism in wild and managed bee species.

Funding

USDA-NIFA: 2018-67012-28004

History

Data contact name

Angelella, Gina

Data contact email

gina.angelella@usda.gov

Publisher

Ag Data Commons

Intended use

Data may be used in future research or meta-analysis.

Temporal Extent Start Date

2018-04-01

Temporal Extent End Date

2020-08-01

Theme

  • Non-geospatial

Geographic Coverage

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Geographic location - description

The Eastern Shore of Virginia and Maryland, Mid-Atlantic Region, U.S.

ISO Topic Category

  • farming
  • biota

National Agricultural Library Thesaurus terms

wild flowers; pollinators; habitats; farms; nesting; reproduction; Bombus impatiens; Megachile rotundata; nests; spring; summer; parasitism; screening; Nosema; spores; females; worker honey bees; cocoons; adults; progeny; parasitoids; beehives; planting

OMB Bureau Code

  • 005:20 - National Institute of Food and Agriculture
  • 005:18 - Agricultural Research Service

OMB Program Code

  • 005:040 - National Research

ARS National Program Number

  • 304

Pending citation

  • Yes

Public Access Level

  • Public

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